RSG To Upgrade School Of Nursing

The Rivers State Government says the Rivers State School of Nursery and Midwifery would be upgraded to a College of Nursing and Midwifery soon.

The state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi disclosed this at the opening ceremony of this year’s National Nurses Week organized by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Monday in Port Harcourt.

The governor, who was represented by the Commissioner for Sports, Mr. Fred Igwe, expressed delight with the activities of NANNM, adding that the gate government would do everything in its power to ensure that the school got full accreditation to give it a place of pride in the education sector. He further said that the state government was towards amending the law establishing the school which joined the school with Health Technology in the State.

He used the opportunity to announce that the state government employed more than 350 nurses and absorbed over 170 nurses from the school to boost health came delivery services in the state.

The State Chief Executive further disclosed that the government has purchased an aquatic mobile hospital to boost primary health in the reverines areas of the state soon.

In her goodwill message, the Head of Service, Rivers State Civil Service, Mrs Esther Anucha, congratulated the nurses on their achievements particularly the building of the Nurses House, located at Trans Amadi and urged other unions to emulate them.

She charged members of the union to understand that their profession touches human life and commended them in the discharge of their duties, while expressing the hope that they would continue to progress and ensure that “our health care delivery service is the best in the country”. Also speaking, National president, of the association Mr. Lawal Dutsinma, explained that the theme of this year’s celebration, tagged “closing the Gap: Increasing Access and Equity”, was apt, stating that inspite of the achievements in global health care delivery there exist the major gaps in life expectancy between men and women as well as between rural and urban dwellers which according to him is militating against the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the sector.

He said the ability to access health is the key to improving the well being and life expectancy of all and urged government to provide training, developmental skills, employment, as well as of the association in inclusion policy making in the country.

He charged nurses on professional ethics and advised them to always live up to the expectation and challenges of their profession.

Tonye Nria-Dappa